The Cecil Whig., 1887-10-29
The Diamond Rinq.
| W hitehall Review.

II hiSCl anu III W us lDI HIS pee
uion. He left it to me by his will, and
| keep it in memory of one of the best
actors and one of the best men l ever
knew"
Meanwhile the ring was passing from
hand to hand, ard the universal verdict
was that none of US had ever seen a finer
stone.
''Turenne was rather a wealthy man"
said one of our little ci.cle, "but didn't
think he could have afforded or would
have cared to spend SO much money on
| an ornament as that rirg must have
| cost"
He wanted it for some special purpose
which afterward fell through" rejoired
| Wyse. Il know all about it, for | bought
it for him my self. had quite a little
adventure on the OCCASION
Tell us the story" we cried.
"Well, said Wyse, taking a pull at
his cigar and settling himself back i'll his
! chair, lit is good many years ago. |
was play ing high comedy characters at
the old Prircess's, and as | had been
working very hard set off for the south
| of France as soon as the season closed 1t
| happened that Turenne (who had proved
himself a true friend to me) wanteu good
diamond for purpose | needn't trouble
you with; ard before | set out on my
travels told him that if I met with a
particularly fine one at moderate price
| would buy it for him, and he being too
busy at the time to attend to the matter
himself, gladly consented. Twas staying
| at Nice, when there came to the hotel
one of those tall, loquacious Americans
There seemed to be nothing objectiona-
ble about the man, except that he was
vulgar and eternally talking about tie
United States.
"On the evening alter his arrival a few
of US happened to be sitting in the bll-
lard room, and by some chance or other
the conversation turned on the subject
of diamonds.
II dou'C know much about the bust
ness myself said the American, but
I'm told by good judges that thar's $ about
as good stone as you'll see i'll a day s
round
so saying he drew a ring from his
finger and handed it to me, who managed
to sit next him. 1t was, indeed, magni-
| L,,,l E
pattern. When the lamp was removed
it seemed to gather into itself the light
out OF the semi darkness, and glittered
like bit of broken glass in the sunshine.
| hat is it worth?' asked one of the men
preseLt.
THAT | can hardly tell ou, answered
the American, seein' friend at Buenos
sent it to me direct, and had it cut my
self. But I'm tired Of it, and seldom
| wear it,
Would you sell i:' l inquired, out
of curiosity.
| '''1 might, answered the American,
especially as this European trip is clean
ing me out faster than | expected; AID |
don't want to go home to Vermont skin
ned as neatly as cod. Yes, you may
have that diamond for eighty pounds of
your money, stranger, and dirt cheap at
that, | should say
Il looked at the stone again, and the
| longer | looked at it the more liked it.
Eighty pounds was quite as much as my
friend wished to pay for a stone, but
what if could get one for him worth a
hundred for eighty pounds?
"'Will you tradc?' he asked.
81 am not a judge of diamonds my
self, said |, returning the stone to its
owner. I'm afraid couldn't buy with
out taking lapidary's opinion as to its
value
"'All right, SAID the American care
| lessly, ii you care to hev it We can go
round to jewellers i'll the morning.
| And if he puts lower value on the stone
than did, you can hev it at che price he
names, il you like to buy. | can't say
| fairer than that
The offer did, indeed, seem very
| fal one and went to bed tina night de-
| termiued to secure the jewel for my
| friend if the expert reported favorably
| of it.
Next morning the American and |
| strolled down to the shop of the chief
| jeweler of the town; and when We en-
tered the place | first OF all paid my foot
ing by purchasing some tritle, and then,
taking the ring from the hand of my new
| acquaintance, | placed it before the Jew
eler and asked him to give me an opin-
ion as to its value.
"a ver' fine stone, sir, said the
Frenchman; 4 congratulate you on the
possession of so fine diamond
"'It is not mine; it belongs to my
friend here.
"'Ah if that be the ease then | cou-
gratuate hcem,' said the polite trades
man.
"What do you suppose it is worth?'
asked.
"'Oh, it is difficult to say said the
Frenchman, Smuggling his shoulders
Won gentleman sinks Won price NOR for
him, anotter sinks -
"'Ies; but what would you give if you
were to buy it? Would you give eighteen
hundred francs?'
''The jeweller did not reply for few
seconds. He popped his microscope once
more into his eye, held the ring up to the
light, examined the setting and fell to
making elaborate calculations with a
pencil on sheet Of botting papes.
81 do not often buy such large stones,
but will give you two Thousand five
hundred francs for this one,' he finally
said to the American.
"The Yankee did not reply; and I'll @
Frenchman assuming that his offer was
accepted, placed the ring on a little ledge
behind him and opened his desk for his .
check book.
"'Not 80 fast said Brother Jonathan: /